Synchronized
by TheDjoek
Summary: DPOV: In this alternate universe, Ivan Zeklos never died and Dimitri Belikov is his prestigious Guardian. While being on a field trip, they return the two runaways, Rose Hathaway and Vasilisa Dragomir, to St. Vladimir's. What happens a year later, when Dimitri runs into Rose again after her graduation? Will attraction make its fatal blow?
1. Chapter 1

"I hope Maryse will like this bracelet. It cost me a fortune," said Ivan when we left the jeweler with a small bag. Ivan Zeklos was my best friend and the royal Moroi—a mortal vampire—that fell under my protection. We were in Portland for one of his business trips and payed at visit to the mall to get a birthday present for his girlfriend Maryse Szelsky, who was back at the Royal Court in Pennsylvania. We had moved there two months ago, after Ivan had graduated from university back in Russia, our native country.

I wanted to tell him not to worry but got distracted. My gaze had been searching the environment for possible danger, but fell on a young woman on the other side of the building instead.

She looked mature like girls do nowadays. I estimated her to be around twenty though I could be wrong. She had an exotic appearance—her hair and eyes being dark and her skin slightly tanned. She radiated fierceness while striding through the mall, making her fatally attractive, but that was not what had caught my attention.

She was a Dhampir like me. A mortal half-vampire. Dhampirs had Moroi blood that gave them special treats like strength, speed and endurance, but they did not feed on human blood. They were less fragile than Moroi and were thereby the perfect candidates to protect them against Strigoi—the undead and immortal vampires. While Moroi and Dhampirs were born, were Strigoi created. They were evil and often killed the people they fed on, unlike Moroi. Moroi—especially royal Moroi—however were Strigoi's favorite victims, which was why Dhampirs like me became their Guardians and protected them.

And on guard she was. She stood protectively near her Moroi, shielding her from the passer-by while watching her environment. She did not notice me, though—which was remarkable. Trained Guardians should immediately recognize other vampires upon entering.

My gaze then fell on the Moroi—an equally young woman. She was tall and pale like most Moroi, but with rare white hair and eyes of a regal kind of green. The two women formed such a contrast, it was remarkable. The Guardian looked like some sort of exotic desert princess while the Moroi was more like Snow White.

Then, in my head, alarm bells started to ring.

"Dimitri, you really should stop gawking at those women," Ivan interrupted my train of thoughts. He was already on the cause of my silence, though he had mistaken the reason. "Be a man. Go up there and ask for her number."

I shook my head at him. "I think we've got an emergency."

Ivan gave me a questioning look but said no more as I contacted Igor, Ivan's other Guardian, through the radio I was wearing. Guardians often wore earpieces and microphones during field trips so they could easily stay in touch while one stayed near the assignment and the other scanned the room from a distance. In this case, I was near guard and Igor was far guard.

With no more than the exchange of a few words, we changed positions so I could make a few phone calls. I would still pay attention to the area and to my charge, but it was safer for Ivan to have a near guard who had his full focus. I dialed a few numbers, meanwhile not letting the two girls out of my sight, before finally getting hold of the captain of the Guardians at St. Vladimir's—an academy in Montana where young Moroi and Dhampirs were educated. I had graduated at a similar institution in Siberia, named St. Basil's. That was where I had met Ivan.

"Guardian Petrov," a tired woman's voice sounded through the line. It was late afternoon which meant the vampires on the night schedule at the academy would yet have to wake up.

"Good afternoon, Guardian Petrov. You're speaking to Dimitri Belikov—Guardian of Ivan Zeklos."

"Ah, Dimitri," she sighed, slightly more friendly at the recognition of my name. I had only met her once before so it was probably my reputation that made her fond of me. Then her tone became all businesslike. "I hope you have a good reason for calling me this time a day?"

"I do. I found the Dragomir princess."

And with that, it all began. I made sure that Igor brought Ivan safely back to Court on a private jet while a team of ten Guardians was sent my way. Up to their arrival, I followed the girls.

I felt like a creep while chasing the two teenage girls, but it was a necessity. If I lost sight of them, I could just as well be wasting the last chance of returning the Dragomir princess. Because that was who the Moroi girl was. Vasilisa Dragomir, the last of her royal heir.

Two years ago, the news had been spread across Guardians that two students had escaped from St. Vladimir's. Though that was quite an achievement seeing how highly guarded such institution was, a couple of subordinate teenagers would not have raised my head. A pair like them though, a princess and a Dhampir with both very recognizable features, did.

They briefly visited a few stores before heading off to an Italian restaurant to get dinner. I was glad with the change of environment since it was easier spying on them from a dinner table than following them into some Forever 21 store. So while they grabbed a table in the middle of the restaurant, I seated at one in a far corner, hanging my brown leather duster over the back of my seat.

They ordered a meal and I decided to grab some dinner too, for I was not sure when this day was going to end or when the chance of a meal would occur again. Not to mention that it would look weird if I spent an hour at a restaurant without eating.

While waiting for my order and watching the two girls from the corner of my eyes, I amused myself with the western I had been carrying in the pocket of my duster. I had read it twice by now—just like every other western existing—but had yet to get tired of it.

I noticed their food arriving, just two minutes before mine did. Every now and then I glanced over to them and became almost fascinated by the quantity of food they consumed. The Dragomir princess finished her whole plate of pasta—which would have been normal for a human, but not for a Moroi like her. Since blood played a huge part in their diet, they normally did not have much of an appetite left for an entire meal, though they also needed normal food.

However, her companion did live entirely on normal food—and damn, it showed. She devoured her entire large pepperoni pizza by herself, licking her fingers after she had finished it.

Once they were done eating and had paid the bill, they headed out of the restaurant. I tossed some cash on the table before going after them, having no time to properly pay the bill. When they left the mall with the sun hanging low in the sky, I knew that the hardest part of my persecution was still awaiting. Outside from the mall there were less spots to hide behind and no mass to blend into.

I followed them as they went back to their residence on a college campus. From behind a trash can I watched them going inside one of the many old houses that were build alongside the street. I could not help but feel a sense of melancholy while being amidst of the student-like mess, being reminded of my days at university with Ivan. Getting a degree had not been a life goal for a Guardian like me, but I felt blessed having the good memories that came with the college life.

I had already notified the team of Academy Guardians of my whereabouts when I saw a green Honda parking down east and a lean college boy stepping out of it. I watched him make his way down the street, entering the same house as my targets were located. He was probably a housemate of theirs, which could complicate things. We could not just bust into their house when there were human witnesses attending.

The team arrived around one AM. We cabled up and came up with a strategy. I would watch the front of the house together with a guardian named Yuri while Alberta and the others would raid the back and the ends of the street. We could not capture them immediately, though. We still had to wait a couple of hours until the campus would quiet down. We wanted to avoid the presence of witnesses as much as possible and unfortunately it was common for students to stay awake until long after midnight.

The girl's bedroom had been dark for hours—it was three AM by then—when suddenly a small lamp was lit. The light it produced was dim and I was barely able to recognize the contours of the girls. They sat on one bed, holding each other in an embrace. It was hard for me to see what exactly was going on, but it seemed so intimate that I averted my eyes.

A moment later, when I looked back again, I saw the princess leaving the room and Rose lying down on her bed. She looked dazed, as if she were on drugs.

She could not be that reckless, right? To take numbing goods while having a Moroi to watch during Strigoi-hour?

Unconsciously I took a step forward, closer to her and further away from my hiding spot, to see if she was all right. I was not afraid she would notice me. I had followed her all day without being caught and right now she seemed so sucked up in her own world that she would not notice me now.

I was wrong.

Suddenly, she sat up and leaned out of the window. Her eyes scanned her surroundings before falling on me. I saw her jerk back with the same surprise that I felt going through my body. I mirrored her, taking a step back into the shadows of the tree.

Feeling frozen on the spot, I watched her lazy gaze going from the cat near the window and then back to me, trying to comprehend what was going on. I could almost see it click inside her head.

It looked like getting them out of the house would be the least of our problems now.

"I'm spotted," I spoke through the microphone, averting my eyes from the girl while she got dressed. "Expect them to leave the house in one minute."

"Do you want us to capture them immediately?" Alberta's voice sounded through the radio.

"Let them run a little. I know exactly where they're going," I replied, recalling their housemate's vehicle. Since I had seen them leave the mall by cab, it was safe to assume that they had no escape vehicle themselves. Yuri joined the rest of the team while I positioned myself in the shadows of the tree next to the green Honda.

"You were right, Dimitri," I heard Alberta speak. "They're leaving towards east."

In the distance, I could see Alberta's words being confirmed. The two girls were heading my direction with a pace that was almost uncomfortable to look at. The Dragomir princess was keeping the Dhampir on her feet—or made an attempt to do so—and dragged her with her to the car that was only a few feet away from me.

How was it even possible that the Rose-girl was so slow on her feet? Dhampirs were fast and strong by nature, so what she was showing was downright bad—even for a normal human. I could not understand how she wanted to protect the princess in this kind of state—if she even wanted to protect her at all.

They neared the vehicle which was their last hope for escape and I crushed it. It took me nothing more than a few steps, placing me in front of the car and thereby blocking their way.

Two gazes fell on me. One was fearful, the other one annoyed. Behind them I saw the team nearing and I knew they were aware of it, too. The pressure of the group lit Rose's primal Guardian instincts. She protectively placed herself in front of the princess, removing her from my reach. She clearly saw me as a threat.

"Leave her alone," she growled, her dark eyes spitting fire. "Don't touch her."

Even though I was coping with two runaways, I was surprised by her reaction. She was protective over the princess like a lioness over her cub and I was the enemy.

I held my arms out, trying to calm her down and show the girls that I meant no harm while taking a step forward. "I'm not going to—"

She did not buy it. She leapt out at me with a basic maneuver, the kind that you learned at the beginning of Guardian training. I was no beginner though. I was a fully trained and promised Guardian. I was used to having opponents like deadly Strigoi or other Guardians—a weak teenage girl was nothing against my skills.

I countered her attack—which was even sloppy to begin with—using a simple block, accidentally using a bit more force than necessary. I was used to fighting graduated Guardians and deadly Strigoi—not a weakened teenage girl. My defense almost sent her off her feet and I caught hold of her arm before she could fall, her hair falling behind her shoulders and exposing her neck.

Whatever words I had wanted to say disappeared from my mind as I stared at the wound at the side of her throat. I had seen something similar before on my sister. We had argued about it and I had gotten mad at her for lowering herself to such standards. In any other situation, knowing that Rose gave blood would have been repelling and evoke the same reaction in me. But instead, I found myself admiring her.

She had fed the princess to keep her alive. She put her own reputation at risk and literally gave her own blood to protect her Moroi. She was not weakened because of selfish reasons, but because of her sense of duty.

The girl noticed my staring and touched the wound. She regarded her blood-fouled fingers as if she had forgotten about her act until now. It caused her cheeks to turn red before she shook her hair over her shoulders, covering the bite mark.

I looked up and met her fury-filled eyes as she released herself from my hold. Maybe I was supposed to restrain her, but I could not. Not that I was incapable—I could hold her down all night if I had to—but I simply refused to restrain such a protector like her. A girl with so much potential.

She placed herself in front of the princess again and braced herself for another attack—one she would never win. I was not sure if she was aware of that, but the Moroi was.

"Rose," she spoke gently to her protector, grabbing hold of her hand. "Don't."

It took Rose a moment to come to her senses and sign her defeat. There was no point in fighting a battle she had already lost.

I stepped forward, turning toward the princess who had been eying me with fearing eyes and bowed for her. "My name is Dimitri Belikov. I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."

With a heartbeat, I awoke in my own bed.

* * *

 _Author's note_

* * *

Thanks for reading!

I hope you like my version of the famous encounter. From now on the plot will differ from the books, though I owe my inspiration and most of the characters to the amazing Richelle Mead.

Please review! I would love to know your thoughts on it.


	2. Chapter 2

My eyelids flew open and revealed a bedroom. It took me a moment to realize that it was mine, situated at Court—nowhere near Portland. I felt disoriented, even though I had inhabited it for over a year by now. This was partly because my room was darker now than it usually was around wake-up time and partly because my dream had been so vivid.

Maybe because it had been real.

I shot upright in my bed, a movement that accidentally awoke the other body under the covers.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," I apologized as I watched Tasha blink her bright blue eyes wearily a couple of times.

"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked with a voice still hoarse from sleep.

I shook my head and cupped her cheek with my hand, placing a kiss on her lips. "It was just a dream." It was a lie—sort of. It had not just been a dream; it had been the almost exact repetition of what had happened in Portland nearly a year ago. Though I had to admit that it crossed my mind every now and then, dreaming about it was a little unusual and unnecessary. Not wanting to elaborate on it to Tasha, I pulled away from her and stood up from the bed.

She grunted disapprovingly, taking offence at my action. "You're not going to stay in bed with me?"

"Haven't we done that enough for the last few days?" I told her, feeling a smirk creep on my face, recalling the many moments we had spent together.

Naughty lights twinkled in her eyes. "It's never enough."

I laughed. "I'll see you tonight. I'm sure there'll be plenty of time for more of this after your date-dinner."

"It's a deal," she said.

I sought for my work-out clothes and got dressed before leaving my apartment. Tasha had grown so accustomed to my place that I did not mind leaving her alone there. She could find her way out.

I had hoped that the fresh air would clear my mind, but I was not that lucky. Even outside, I could not help but shake this uneasy feeling. For now reason at all, I was expecting something unusual to happen. While making my way to the gym, I kept my environment in check as if I were expecting a Strigoi to attack. That was ridiculous of course. The sun was still up and Court was heavily protected with magic wards, making a Strigoi attack impossible.

I entered the building of the gym and gave the desk-clerk a polite nod. I dumped my stuff in a locker and grabbed one of the free towels before entering the hall, everything being exactly as usual.

But then it happened.

In the center of the hall, surrounded by a few spectators, were two young graduates sparring. One was an unfamiliar blond young man with admirable fighting skills. The other was a young woman—around the same age as the guy—with long dark hair whose face I had never been able to forget.

I froze at the entrance of the dojo when I recognized her. Rose Hathaway. She was the girl from my dream, the girl I had dragged to St. Vladimir's almost a year ago. Since then, no day had passed that she did not cross my mind—consciously or not. Though I had believed in her potential back then—I had even fought for the continuation of her education—I had never stopped wondering if it had been enough.

By the looks of what was happening in front of me, my worries had been undeserved. She must have kicked the asses of every skeptical teacher at her school, just like she was kicking the ass of her opponent right now.

I did not wait for the loud applause of her audience when she took the guy down. I had to admit her movements were a real sight—gracious and innovative—and I could not help but feel a small burst of pride for having been the first one to believe in her, but I had to focus on my own training. I was already behind on schedule.

I had been planning to go straight to the weights and skip cardio today, but then decided that the running was more appealing. Perhaps it could help me clear my head.

I left the gym and went to the outdoor track, starting my usual set of laps. The sun was still hanging in the sky and I was grateful for the vitamin D it provided. Living on Ivan's nocturnal schedule could take its toll on a Dhampir like me. It was a sacrifice I had to make though, among many other things. Even then, my life was still better than that of most Guardians. I was assigned to my best friend which came with many advantages. He treated me with respect and let me have the 'normal' life that living at Court could provide. I was even able to have a serious relationship. Not many Guardians could say the same.

I was about to finish my eighth lap when I noticed the backdoor of the gym swinging open and revealing the Hathaway girl. I tried my best not to get distracted as she entered the track, but it was hopeless. I could not help but be aware of her fast pace that slowly closed the distance between us. It was only when she was solely a couple of feet behind me that I realized she was catching up with me.

"Did Russia finally get tired of you?" her American accented voice sounded next to me, her sprinting pace finally slowing down and matching mine—which must still be fast for her since her legs were not as long as mine.

I looked beside me, right into her dark eyes that betrayed she was just playing me.

"Did you get permission to leave the Academy or did you run away again?" I countered.

"Didn't need to. I'm a fully graduated Guardian now." Her eyes shone with pride as she spoke the words.

So that explained what she was doing here. It was common that the newly promised Guardians would head out to Court after graduation to gather their assignments. However, I had not realized that the trials had been taken this week. It was logical though, since I had dinner planned with Tasha and her freshly graduated nephew Christian this evening.

She mistook my silent pondering for surprise. "Didn't expect that, huh?"

I looked away from her. "I would not have put so much effort into getting you back in school if I hadn't."

Even though I had barely spent a whole day with her, it had been long enough for me to realize that there was more than her impulsive and intuitive nature. She was devoted and protective, especially when it came to her best friend Vasilisa Dragomir. Rose would make the perfect Guardian for her—if she had not taken her to Portland. In the eyes of the authorities, there was nothing more reckless than taking a precious Moroi like princess Vasilisa away from the protection of the magic wards into the wide world. A move like that could have—and possibly still could—ruin a Dhampir's career.

"Thanks for that," she eventually replied, her tone suddenly so serious that it made me turn my head to look at her. "For fighting for me. I don't think I would have been here if you hadn't."

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Are you thanking me?"

Surprise must have sounded through my voice—something she did not appreciate.

"You better enjoy it for as long as it lasts," she replied before slowing down her pace. "I'm done running."

I watched how she left the track while wondering if I should leave our conversation finished like that. I decided not to. There was still something I needed to know.

"Had it been worth it?" I asked her as soon as I had caught up with her outside of the track—which was pretty soon. "Have you been assigned to the Dragomir princess?"

She did not spare me a single look, concentrating at a point in front of her. It kept her face from betraying her uncertainty, but not her voice. "We do not get our assignments until next week." She let down her shoulders, staring at the ground. "If I ever get an assignment…" she sighed softly to herself.

It had been one of my worries from the moment I met her. Would she be able to become a Guardian? One that was assigned to a Moroi—not to the filing work they gave to insubordinate Dhampirs.

"Have you been devoted to your training?" I asked her sincerely. "Have you followed Alberta's instructions? And more importantly—have you given everything into it?"

Finally, she eyed me.

"I always do."

A thrill—surprising and familiar at the same time—went through me. It reminded me of the time that I had been sitting next to her in the plane to St. Vladimir's. I had asked her why she had attacked me on the streets in Portland. Back then she had shown the same determination while forming her reply as she did now.

Almost feeling shy of her fierceness, I averted my eyes from hers. "Then you've done your part. It's up to them now."

"Up to the lovely Queen Tatiana," I heard her sigh to herself bitterly when we entered the hall. Before I could wonder what her indignation towards the queen caused, her earlier sparring partner came up to us.

"Hathaway," he stated, "it's time for revenge."

"The only thing better than kicking your ass once is kicking it twice, Castile," Rose replied playfully before including me into the conversation.

"Eddie, this is Dimitri." She gestured at me. I knew better than to expect her to use my formal title. I had chastised her for calling the headmistress of St. Vladimir's by her first name during our arrival at the academy a year ago.

"It's an honor to meet you, Guardian Belikov," Eddie said when we shook hands. He appeared to be more formally mannered than Rose, but his usage of my last name surprised me. None of us had called it. I knew I had a good reputation, but that even her classmate had heard of me was unexpected.

I gave him a polite nod. "Likewise."

He turned to Rose. "I'll see you in the ring," he told her, giving us some space while implying that she should hurry up. He did not seem to be in the mood for endless conversation and neither was I at the moment. Practice was priority.

"I'm coming right after you," Rose replied.

Eddie nodded at us in approval and goodbye. Then Rose eyed me, her mouth curling up in a grin.

"I'll see you around, Comrade."

She turned around and I watched her leave, feeling stupefied at the use of that nickname. She had only used it once before, when I had taken her to her old headmistress. I should have forgotten it, but I remembered—just like her. Slipping back into Guardian mode, I decided not to dwell on it.

* * *

Author's note

* * *

Hey lovelies!

First of all, I wanted to say how much I love your positive reactions! Even though I've been writing stories since I was little, I never had the guts to publish anything so this makes me very happy :) Secondly, I want to apologize for the posting time between chapters. I can't promise that I'll update rapidly since I'm in university and have several music projects running next to that, making me a very busy bee. However, I will update as much as I can while delivering the best that I can. Your reactions have been very motivating, so keep reviewing ;)

Disclaimer: the characters and setting belong to Richelle Mead.


	3. Chapter 3

After my daily dose of sets at the weights, I left the gym and went off to take a shower before heading off to Ivan and Maryse's apartment. They had recently moved in together and had asked me to assist them with painting the walls.

"Maryse, is that you?" I asked jokingly when Ivan's girlfriend opened the door for me. She was dressed in overalls, covered in paint spots and wore her red hair in a braid that had once been neat but had now become a big mess. It was a stark contrast to her usual appearance nowadays. Though she used to be quite the hippy back at college, she had accustomed to what was expected from her as a Royal, wearing designer clothing and looking ready for formal gatherings at any moment.

"When did you become such a charmer, Dimka?" she commented sarcastically while letting me inside.

I could just spot Ivan putting down his painting gear in the living room before coming up to us. "There has to be a reason that Tasha fell for him," he commented, having overheard our conversation. Just like Maryse, he was dressed up in old clothes, wearing a jeans and T-shirt that I had not seen him wear in ages.

I shook my head at the both of them and sighed wearily. "Let's just get this over with."

Being the tallest guy of the group with my 6"7, I got occupied with painting the ceiling while Maryse and Ivan would do the walls. I was glad that it distanced me from the sticky couple, but also wondered whether a different division would have stopped them from kissing and teasing in front of me the whole time.

When Ivan splashed white paint on Maryse's overalls for the tenth time that day, resulting in another playful kiss, I groaned in annoyance.

Ivan pulled away from Maryse, his hands still tangled in her braid. That explained why her hair had been such a mess when I arrived. "Are you jealous, Dimka?"

"If you'd just hired someone to do the walls, you could be splashing something else," I replied.

"But that would not be that much fun!" Maryse complained before pulling away from her boyfriend, smoothing over the wrinkles of her clothes.

Ivan looked at her with an offended look on his face. "Are you serious, babe?"

She ignored him and turned to me. "We've barely seen you this week."

Ivan pulled his girlfriend back to him, though they were not as close as they had been in their firm embrace. "That's because he was with Tasha, my dear," he told her. "I think we'll just have to accept that we lost him. He's become a 'we' now."

She shushed him. "Don't be so skeptical. He's giving his life for you. You can grant him a bit of happiness in return." She then turned to me. "Talking about Tasha… How are things going between the two of you?

"Actually, I'm having dinner with her and her nephew this evening," I stated.

"She's letting you meet the family?" Ivan asked, sounding perplexed.

"Pretty much. She's raised her nephew as if he were her own son."

"That's quite serious," stated Maryse. "In a good way, of course," she added quickly. "It means that she considers you a serious deal."

"Yeah man," Ivan stood by, adding a male perspective. "Are you sure you're fine with that? Because if you're still into the bachelor life, you should get the hell out of there right now."

I shrugged before forming my reply. "I guess I am. I mean, I think I want to be serious with her. She's thirty-one, I'm twenty-five—isn't it sort of the time to settle down? We're painting your living room for a reason." I gestured around the room to illustrate my point. "You are settling down, so why wouldn't I expect that from Tasha?"

"We've been together for three years," objected Ivan. "You can't really compare our relationship to yours. For how long have you been seeing each other? Two months?"

"Almost," I said. "But I've known her for years. This isn't the first time we've attempted a relationship, remember?" The history of Tasha and me went way back. It was even longer than my Guardian career.

"Are you in love with her?" Maryse asked me suddenly, her tone sincere and her eyes digging into mine. It quieted me for a moment.

"It's only been two months," I replied eventually, my voice somehow husky. It was clear that I was done elaborating on this subject and they respected that.

"Just don't rush into anything you don't want," Maryse said at last before she grabbed a painting brush. She continued the painting and Ivan and I followed her lead. The rest of the afternoon we spend making small talk about anything but Tasha.

When we were done, I left and went to my own apartment in the Guardian building to freshen up and change my clothes into a more formal attire—a dark jeans, a T-shirt and a blazer—before heading to Tasha's place. Just like she had my key, I had hers and could enter her apartment without invitation. When I opened her front door, I was greeted with the warm aromas of roasted chicken and baked potato's which made my stomach growl of hunger. It had been a while since I had last eaten. I quickly made my way to the kitchen and came to a halt in the doorway.

At the kitchen counter stood Tasha preparing the dessert of the evening, tiramisu. Though she usually made dinner herself, unlike many other Royals, I was not used to seeing her outdoing herself like this. She was even wearing an apron over her tight navy dress, which ended right below her knees. It was an amazing scene. I stood there watching her for a minute or so, until she finally noticed me.

She jumped up, almost dropping the bottle of liquor she was holding in her hand for the tiramisu. "Dimka!" she exclaimed joyously. "Don't scare me like that."

I approached her with a grin. "I couldn't help myself. You look so pretty tonight." I brushed the loose strands of black hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear.

It elicited a smile from her. "You don't look so bad yourself either."

I pressed a kiss on her lips upon which she pulled me closer.

"That's a lot of food you're making, considering we'll be eating with four of which three Moroi," I told her after a long set of kisses while looking around the kitchen.

"Actually, we are with six tonight," she replied. "Christian informed me this afternoon that he's bringing another couple with him."

"Another couple?" I asked her with concern. I was not that much of a people's person, so the thought of having to spend my evening with even more strangers was tiring. I was keen on getting Christian's approval, but the attendance of more people would make it harder. I was not that much of a group person.

"Don't worry," she said. "They're just friends of Christian's. I'm sure you'll do fine. Just be your nice self."

Before she could elaborate on the last-minute guests, the bell at the front door rang.

"Speaking of the devil," she began. "Can you put the tiramisu in the fridge? Then I'll open the door for our guests."

I nodded, releasing her from my hold. When she disappeared from my sight, I followed her instructions concerning the dessert while listening to her inviting her nephew and his following inside. Her voice sounded happy at the sight of them, which delighted me. I did not want to ruin their moment so I kept waiting in the kitchen. Eventually, Tasha returned to the room with our company for the evening, including an unexpected but familiar Dhampir girl.

My good resolutions of being social immediately disappeared from my mind.

"Rose?"

* * *

 _ **Author's note**_

* * *

Hello gorgeous readers!

Thank you so much for your positive reviews! They're really uplifiting and motivating, so keep on going :) I'm sorry that this chapter is a shorter one, but there's a lot more to come.

About Tasha: I've noticed that Tasha's part is not really a favorite among a lot of you, which I understand completely. I'm sorry to be adding more of her in this story, but it's necessary for the plot. I don't want to spoil too much, but there will be lots of Romitri fluff later on, so just keep on reading ;) Though I'm not a big Tasha-fan myself, I have begun to find her pretty fascinating. The VA anniversary-edition really made me sympathize with her, so I hope I can portray her sympathetic here and perhaps show why she was one of Dimitri's best friends in the VA-series. Nevertheless, Romitri will be the end-game.

Disclaimer: (almost) all the characters and the setting belong to Richelle Mead.


	4. Chapter 4

The gathering was one of status, considering the royal Moroi I was in company with. Christian Ozera, his girlfriend Vasilisa Dragomir and the queen's very own nephew, Adrian Ivashkov. Nevertheless, my attention was adsorbed by the sole person of low social class in the room.

She looked even more blazing now than she had in the gym this morning. She looked like a lady, mature and stunning in the tight, knee-length burgundy dress she was wearing. The long hair that had been tied up in a bun this morning, was now falling down her back. Her appearance was more stunning than should be allowed, resembling a desert princess more than a simple Dhampir. Her mouth did not synchronize with her attire though.

"Dimitri?" she said, mirroring my surprise as she saw me lean against the counter. Then she turned to Tasha with a fearful voice. "We aren't having borscht tonight, right?"

The Ivashkov-guy poked Rose teasingly in her side before placing his arm around her waist. "And I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

Tasha ignored him and reassured the girl with a smile. "Dimka is just here to look pretty. I've cooked it all by myself—with no Russian influences or whatsoever." She directed her gaze at me, her dark brows forming a questioning frown. "I was not aware you two had already met, though."

"I returned her to St. Vladimir's last year," I explained shortly. "Together with princess Vasilisa Dragomir." I turned to the princess, making a bow for her.

"You may quit the formalities," she spoke gallantly. "We're in a friendly company. You can call me Lissa."

I nodded at her before turning my attention to the dark haired boy on her arm. I wondered whether I should approach him in the traditional way, just like I had done with Lissa, but he already came up to me before I could. He stuck his hand out to me which I shook.

"Dimitri," he said. "I'm glad to finally meet the guy who makes my aunt happy."

I smiled at him. "Likewise, Christian. Tasha keeps telling me all these stories about you."

He gazed at his aunt. "That actually terrifies me."

She grinned. "Only the good ones."

We let go of each other whereupon I turned to the last person in the room, the tall Moroi guy at Rose's side. I had never met him, though I had heard plenty about him. He was Adrian Ivashkov, the queen's nephew and the most desired bachelor at Court. Or he used to be, since he now seemed to be involved with Rose. Nevertheless, he had a reputation—one containing girls, parties and alcohol. In fact, I even detected a hint of cigarette smell around him right now.

He eyed me without amusement and I decided that the formal introduction would serve its purpose, so I bowed for him.

"Lord Ivashkov," I said. "It's an honor to be in your presence."

He only nodded and did not even bother to use my title. "Thank you, Belikov," he said coldly.

The tone had been put.

"Rose and Adrian," Tasha began when the first dish had been served. "To what do I owe this pleasure to have you as my guests tonight?"

Rose and Adrian shared a look of mischief, upon which Rose took the lead. "Lissa informed us that you were having dinner tonight and since I really loved hanging out with you this Christmas, I could not miss out on this."

Tasha had told me she had visited Christian at St. Vladimir's during the holiday period. It made sense that Rose had also been a part of it.

Adrian cleared his throat. "Rose also needed an excuse to ditch her parents."

His brutal act of honesty got him a glare from his girlfriend. However, Tasha took no offence and was rather concerned.

"What about the parents?" she asked them, genuinely curious. "I met Janine just the other day."

Rose's mother, Janine Hathaway, was known as one of the best Guardians alive. She was serving a Szcelsky lord—one of Maryse's uncles—for almost two decades now. She was known to be dedicated with a creative mind, having navigated several rescue missions. I had the honor to meet her once and I had to say, she was hard to forget. Even though I had at least two heads on her, she was one of the most intimidating people I had ever met. Looking at Rose now, I wondered what result a mother like her would have on her child.

"She and Abe wanted to have dinner with us." Rose spoke the words as if they were venom. "They wanted to get to know the boyfriend."

"What's wrong with that?" Tasha asked her. "Isn't it a good thing that she's interested? She appeared enthusiastic about it when I spoke to her."

Enthusiasm was not necessarily a mood that I would ever ascribe to Guardian Hathaway, going by the impression I had gotten from her. Apparently, neither did Rose.

"Enthusiastic? That does not sound like her…"

"I think Rose is a bit traumatized by our previous Meet-the-Parents dinner," interrupted Adrian.

Rose gave him a look. "More like Meet-the-Family. Even Queen Tatiana showed up."

"Your favorite," Lissa added with a smirk. Apparently, I had not been wrong detecting a resentment towards the queen with Rose. I myself had no time to have strong opinions about the regime, although I did find that the queen could make some progressive changes concerning the Moroi protection. Tasha, however, was one of the radicals.

"Queen Tatiana…" mused Tasha. "That must have been quite a dinner." The tone of her voice made clear that it was in the negative sense.

"Yeah she's lovely," Adrian replied as if he was unaware of the negative tension. "She's my favorite aunt so I always love having her around. I can't say I'm that involved with the politics, though."

"But some things must slip through, right? When you're having dinner with such a politically important family…" said Tasha.

Adrian shrugged. "Not really—or I just ignore them and focus on my drinks." He took a big sip from his red wine to illustrate his point. "However, I do recall a debate about _spirit_."

I myself had never heard of something called _spirit_ —except for the strong liquor. Glancing around the table, I appeared to be the only ignorant one.

"They want to make it globally known?" Tasha asked him.

"That's pretty much what the debate is about. It would help a lot of people if it weren't a secret since you could heal so many illnesses…"

"But where would you stop?" Lissa added. "We would be playing god."

Christian grabbed the princesses hand protectively. "Like I would let them use you as a tool."

"I'm sorry," I began, "but what is this _spirit_ , exactly?"

"The fifth element of Moroi magic," Adrian spoke.

"But there are only four," I countered, utterly confused. It had been drilled that Moroi only possessed four types of magic: earth, air, fire and water. Their possession of magic was what made them so attractive for Strigoi. Never had I heard of a fifth…

As if on cue, everyone at the table shook their heads.

"Spirit is the psychic element," Rose began. "Lissa and Adrian both master it. It enables you to walk dreams, see auras and heal injuries. It's what created the bond." She tapped against her temple.

One of the things I had noticed while returning Lissa and Rose to St. Vladimir's was the mental bond they shared. I had never met anyone with such a connection before. I had heard about it in legends. The best guardians in history were the ones who were bonded to their Moroi, since they were aware of the other's mental state. A bond like they had enabled them to share thoughts and feelings, as far as I knew.

"Adrian is getting better at healing," Lissa said. "Auras and dreams are still a bit troubling for me, though."

I gazed at Tasha. Had she known about this amazing ability all along?

Tasha cleared her throat. "Talking about the bond… Are you nervous for the assignments, Rose? I assume you're getting Lissa anyway."

I saw Adrian take another long gulp of his wine when his girlfriend replied.

"If it were only that easy."

"Why not?" Tasha asked with surprise. "You had the best results of your fellow novices. They would be mad if they denied your talent."

Christian chuckled in his seat. "Those are probably the only good marks on her record," he commented. It earned him a fury-filled glare from all the women at the table.

"Well, I have to admit that it wouldn't be the first mad thing the government has done," Tasha said before turning to Adrian. "No offence to you."

"None-taken," he said. "I'm politically neutral."

"I agree," Lissa told Tasha. "Rose is part of me. She knows me and my feelings… She's already saved my life so many times."

"She kept you alive while being on the road for two years," I said, finally joining the conversation. "Of course she would make a great Guardian." I felt Rose's eyes on me and I replied to her gaze while finishing my point. "It would be a waste to put someone like that away with filing."

"They wouldn't do that, right?" Lissa asked me, looking at me like a child who could not believe Santa Clause did not exist. I got the idea that she had not even considered such a fate a possibility for her friend. "Rose must be out in the field. Even if it's not with me."

I hated to destroy her hope. No matter how much I believed in Rose, Court was a different deal. Luckily, Rose relieved me from shattering the princess's faith by doing it herself.

"Runaways aren't exactly in demand," Rose said. "When no Moroi are asking for me, it could well be."

"That would be awful," Tasha said. She placed her hand on my arm as if she was asking me for permission. "I could sign in a request for you." She told the Dhampir.

Rose frowned at her in utter confusion. "I thought you didn't want a Guardian."

Tasha simply shrugged. "I could make an exception for you. Besides, if a Guardian would fit me it would definitely be you."

Rose blushed and looked down on her empty plate. I felt touched by Tasha's kind gesture, as well as overcome by a selfish feeling of anxiety. I wanted Rose to be a Guardian and Tasha would be great for her. I could definitely tell that Rose looked up to her. But for some reason I could not quite grasp, I did not want her to become my girlfriend's Guardian.

She stood up to get the dessert while I continued my questioning about _spirit_. When she came back with the tiramisu, I would swear that Rose's jaw dropped in amazement. She ended up with the biggest piece, endeavoring it with pleasure. Eventually, when dessert was done, Lissa and Adrian began demonstrating their magic on two of Tasha's dying plants. Lissa made the plant grow into maturity while Adrian merely accomplished to make the brown leafs turn green. Nevertheless, I was impressed.

"Don't overdo yourself with the magic. You can only handle so much," I overheard Rose telling Lissa.

"Don't worry. I've got this," the princess reassured her.

Rose was not content with the reply, but did not push it. She turned to Tasha. "If you don't mind, I'm going to lie down for a moment."

Tasha nodded in approval and I watched Rose make her way to the living room, taking place on the couch while keeping a watchful eye on our gathering.

I shared a look with my girlfriend for approval. "Should I go to her?"

Tasha nodded indifferently. "Go ahead."

I left the table and headed towards the kitchen to boil some water before going over to the woman on the couch, placing a hot cup of tea on the table in front of her. "Everything alright?" I asked her while taking place on the armchair across from her.

She rose, adjusting to a more formal position as if I had caught her by surprise. "It's just the bond," she said, fixing her gaze on Lissa. "Spirit has its costs on her—"

"—and therefore on you," I finished her sentence.

She glanced at me, the corners of her lips curling up into a mischievous smile. "You're a quick learner, Comrade."

I shrugged, feeling the need to change the subject due to shyness. "I made you some tea," I said while pointing at the cup in front of her. "I hope you like jasmine."

She bowed forward to add both the two sugar cubes I had placed next to the cup of the hot drink. She had one hell of a sweet tooth. Then she picked it up, stirring the content with a spoon. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem."

She blew on the hot water, making steam come off. "I didn't know you were dating Christian's aunt. For how long have you two been a thing?"

I leant back in the chair. "Almost two months, I think. We've only become serious very recently." _Recently as in tonight_ , I thought.

"Well, congratulations," she said casually. "Tasha's really great."

I smiled at her. "She is," I agreed, my eyes falling on my lover at the dinner table. She looked happy, laughing at some joke with her cousin. A pang went through my chest. She deserved a family—a big one. I fell short on that point, since I was giving my life to Ivan and not to her. Even though it was possible for Moroi and Dhampirs to have children together, I was not sure if I even dared to raise a family with my profession—or to raise one with her. To keep my mind at ease, I had to remind myself that it was still too early for those thoughts.

I turned to the girl next to me. "I did not think you were dating Adrian Ivashkov, though."

She raised her eyebrows at me—both ones. "Then you must be the only one," she said. "Some think I'm already pregnant with his love child." She made an ugly face while pronouncing the word 'love child', for as far as her pretty face could ever be ugly.

"I've heard those rumors too," I had to admit. "I just know better than to believe all the gossip around Court."

She offered me a glance, one of pleasant surprise I believe. Unfortunately, it did not stay on her face long on enough for me to identify it, since her boyfriend came joining us.

Apparently, he had been promoted from wine to whisky. He set his glass down on the table, next to where I had placed Rose's cup of tea. He took place beside Rose, wrapping his arm around her waist, meanwhile watching me with narrow eyes. He was claiming his territory.

He nuzzled with his nose in her hair. "How about we'll give the united family some privacy and get some quality time of our own?"

Rose glanced from Adrian to me, as if she were assessing the situation. "We can't just leave," she told him.

"Of course we can," he said. "We crashed the party, we can also leave it. Besides…" he left a trail on her knee, "… you've got a big day tomorrow and I think you need some relaxation."

She gazed at him. "Let me first tell the others goodbye."

And so she did.

* * *

Author's note

* * *

Hello beauties!

Thanks for sticking with me! I just completed an exam yesterday, so I immediately returned to writing after that, wanting to deliver a new chapter to you. The next few weeks are going to be very chaotic for me since I've got more exams and a music gig coming up, but I promise I'll be working on the next chapter whenever I can. I hope you like this one! Please review, I'd love to hear from you :)

Much love!

(the characters belong to Richelle Mead)


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